Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil announced the new immigration strategy on 11.12.
Australia is witnessing a record increase in the number of international students with 746,080 people holding student visas as of September 2023, of which Vietnam ranked 6th. However, in recent times, this country has faced immigration problems such as: housing crisis, the situation of taking advantage of student visas to work illegally, the exploitation of workers including international students...
To reform the system and address the above issues, the Australian government on December 11 announced a new immigration strategy, outlining eight key actions: promoting immigration pathways for skilled workers, cracking down on worker exploitation, simplifying the visa process, and especially addressing issues related to the international education sector.
Tighten regulations related to international students
In a nearly 100-page document outlining its immigration strategy for the coming years, Australia has made a number of new commitments to international education. Among them is an increase in English language requirements to improve the educational experience of international students and reduce the risk of exploitation in the workplace. "Currently, our English language requirements for visa applications are lower than some comparable countries such as Canada," the document reads.
Accordingly, from the beginning of 2024, applicants must achieve IELTS 6.0 (or other equivalent certificates) instead of 5.5 as before to apply for a student visa, and IELTS 6.5 instead of 6.0 for a post-graduation work visa. For applicants studying in Australia under the ELICOS English program or university preparation course, the numbers are IELTS 5.0 and 5.0 respectively. This decision will "hinder" tens of thousands of people on their visa application journey, according to SBS .
Australia will also replace the letter of intent for study (genuine temporary entrant) with a genuine student test. Although the specific content has not been announced, according to Australian media, the test will require candidates to provide evidence of their English proficiency, education, financial ability, and an interview about the reasons for choosing to study in Australia and their future plans.
Vietnamese students learn about opportunities to study in Australia at an event organized by a university in this country in October.
In another move by the Australian Government, two new guidelines will be announced to help with the processing of student visa applications. The first will outline key factors to consider before deciding on a visa, such as the applicant’s educational background, career progression and how the course will contribute to their career path. Those who fail to meet these expectations will be refused a student visa.
Meanwhile, a second directive, which comes into effect at the end of 2023, says it will prioritize student visa applications based on the risk level of the education provider, such as a school. “Higher risk providers will experience slower processing times, as visa decision makers consider not only the integrity of each applicant but also the provider,” the document says.
In addition to the above changes, Australia has also made many other commitments to protect the rights of international students, such as strengthening and simplifying post-graduation work visas; limiting visa "jumping"; increasing requirements for international education providers... In addition, this country also shortens the post-graduation work period for applied master's degrees (from 3 years to 2 years) and doctorates (from 4 years to 3 years).
More visa opportunities
According to Clare O'Neil, Minister for Home Affairs, international education is the country's fourth largest export and the government wants international students to actually come to Australia to study. "Our strategy will bring immigration numbers back to normal. This is not just about numbers, it is about Australia's future," Ms O'Neil said at the announcement of the immigration strategy.
Another focus of the migration strategy is to overhaul the skilled visa system and provide more pathways to permanent residency. Australia will create a new visa that will fast-track visa applications within a week for anyone offered a job in Australia with a salary of $135,000 or more. This is expected to bring 3,000 additional skilled professionals to the country.
International students studying in Australia
Visa applications for talented candidates for key positions in areas such as science, technology and cybersecurity will also be processed in just seven days, instead of a year, according to The Australian . These changes will help Australia get the skills it needs and “fill” the jobs it needs to move towards net zero, Ms O’Neil said.
After a lull due to the Covid-19 pandemic, net migration (the difference between immigrants and migrants) peaked at more than 500,000 last financial year, with international students accounting for half of that. Under a new immigration strategy, the Australian government expects to reduce this figure to 375,000 in 2023-24 and to halve by 2026-27, to around 235,000.
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